The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-08-18
FOR THE LADIES.
ABOUT WHAT TO WEAR.
Some Hints IS t. Dress and Color.
TSt. Louis Magazine. 1


day lessons to love beauty in every
form-until a beautiful face, Deauti
ful dress, beautiful form, or a beau
tiful room, becomes as pleasing to our
sight as a sweet flower or any other
lovely object in nature and if we love-
personal beauty, if It pleascs our eye
and rests and satisfies our heart, is it
not worth cultivatIng, just as our flower
gardens are worth cultivatin9 for their
bright beauty and for the fragrance
they she'd about us?-Or, our straw
berries for their luscious taste 50 satisfy
ing to tie palate?
Beauty is one Of the great needs of
human nature, and most people are
unconsciously grateful tor it. To give
pleasure to others is certainly in itself
high aim, and the woman who
makes herself and her surroundings as
graceful and lovely as may be, is some
thing like unto a q JOY forever" Now,
no woman, whether she be COmpara
lively pretty or sGperlatlvely homely,
can look as well as nature intended
her to, unless she is careful and pain
stalking about her dress, careful as to
Its fitness in texture and make, and as
to its suitaDlcness of color. 1t is very
difficult to know what color will be
the most becoming, and still this is
considered a matter of the most vital
importance. We can all understand
that there may be very plain garments
as well as very plain faces and natures,
that yet have nothing repulsiye about
them, that do not stop with q sudden
shock one to pleasure in being, that do
not dissatisfy, perplex, or annoy one;
all dresses might have their beauty,
for it consists solely in a garment being
becoming and sensible, and all faces
might have it, because it is ih2 refleC-
ting from an intelligent mind and
kindly heart.
We have heard women say that they
did not care whether they were pretty
and attractive or not, but we never
have believed it, because we can not
believe it, Certainly, no woman who
is loving and beloved, but must wish
to look pure and sweet and lovely, at
least in the eyes Of one and no mother
but desires that her face may seem to
her little ones the faireSt and dearest
of all on earth. Then, although all
women cannot be beautiful, yet those
who are plain do the best they can to
make those they love, and who love
them, forget that they are ugly, and
remember that it is not a sin, or a folly,
to try to be lovely.
There is a general rule that all
COlOrS in dress to be becoming. must
be subservent to the complexion, but
as compleXiOns are as various as the
blades of the wonderful striped grass,
no two exactly alike, it is difficult to
know how to decide as to what is
subservient, We are told that if one
has blue eyes, she should never wear
blue of brighter hue, because it will
make the eyes appear light and faded
again it has been generally supposed
that brunettes should not wear blue.
Yet, we all have occasionally seen
some bright biack-eyed, dark haired
maiden, robed in a feecy cloud of
some lovely "blos5oming garden of
girls" when by all known rules, she
should have looked like a "perfeCt
fright in the garments she wore.
One writer on C0lors in dress, says:
1--WE see contrasts in nature, but they
are always sOftened, one color shading
into the other at the edge. From this
we take the hint, and when wearing
a black dress, either use some thin
white material about the neck, to
soften down the contrast, or else thin
black color of the garment. Only
under these conditions can the sudden
contrast enhance the fairness of the
complexion.
Transparent white, IS we have said,
has much the effect of gray, and the
brilliant effect and exquisite charm of
Colors for summer wear, is becoming
more fully understood and acknowl-
edged. Their delicious coolness and
daintineSs of appearance, as we'll as
their durability, and the ease with
which when soiled they can be made
to look as we'll as new, renders white
suits very becoming and desirable for
summer wear.